The one that got away (Amas Veritas Series)
by ethereallie
Summary: "Across each land, across each sea, I ask for my true love to come and find me. Reveal your face and make your presence be known. For my heart will surely recognize you, even when my eyes are long drawn, So mote it be." *** My first ORIGINAL story, tell me what you think! :)
1. Prologue

_**Amas Veritas**_

 _True Love Summoning Spell_

 _1 red rose_

 _1 white rose_

 _1 piece of white paper_

 _Red ribbon_

 _ **Instructions:** _

_On a white piece of paper, write all the qualities you want your future partner to possess. Don't skimp on the things you want, be very specific._

 _Cut the roses in half, making two equal parts._

 _Place half the red and white rose heads in the middle of the paper, the list you made and fold it into a small packet. (Save the other half of the flowers for later use)_

 _Secure the newly made packet by tying the red ribbon around it._

 _Find a free-flowing body of water (river, ocean, etc.) and throw the packet in while reciting the summoning spell found below:_

" ** _Across each land, across each sea,_**

 ** _I ask for thy true love to come and find me._**

 ** _Reveal your face and make your presence be known._**

 ** _For my heart will surely recognize you, even when my eyes are long drawn,_**

 _ **So mote it be**."_

 _Find a spot in your backyard (a pot with soil will do if you live in an apartment) and bury the other half of the flowers you saved._

* * *

oOo

* * *

"Are we still up for this? I mean, don't get me wrong, I want to find my true love too, but if we don't eat something, I'd die before I even meet him."

"Are you having second thoughts, Sam?"

Samantha folded the print out she's reading and stuffed it into her back pocket. She turned her face towards her two best friends, "We're going through with it, we're already here," she said with feigned confidence. "This is just a harmless spell we found on the internet, it's not like we're hexing someone or starting a satanic group, right?"

"I'm going in," Carlie announced as she toed off her flip flops. She marched towards the shore with determination, her blonde hair dancing wildly in the wind, "Get your cute butts over here! One more minute of waiting and this whole sea will freeze up and we'll never find Mr. Right!"

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "Yeah, let's use Mr. Right as an excuse for the bottomless pit, you call stomach!" she called out.

Samantha tried to stifle her giggles, but it came out a snort.

"Whatever!" Carlie bit back. She lifted her arm and chucked the packet into the water without preamble. She then recited the spell out loud before turning her head towards them, "There, I'm done."

Stephanie nudged her shoulder, "Come on, let's just get this over with."

She fished out her own packet from her jacket and squared her shoulders, "Yes, lets."

Stephanie linked their arms together and began dragging her towards Carlie. Once they reached the shore line, she paused to look at her, "We'll do it on three, ready?"

"Oh my gosh! This is not rocket science, just throw the damn thing already!"

She tuned out Carlie's rant and focused her attention on the rolling waves.

"1, 2, 3"

She watched Stephanie's packet sail through the air before it disappeared into the foaming waters. She lifted her arm and threw hers with all her might, " _ **Across each land, across each sea, I ask for thy true love to come and find me. Reveal your face and make your presence be known. For my heart will surely recognize you, even when my eyes are long drawn, so mote it be**_ _."_


	2. Chapter 1 - Sam

**_2 years later..._**

"Samantha Corfield, did you even hear what I said?"

"Yeah," Sam replied. She then closed the book she was reading to give her full attention to Gianna, her bff, whom she met 2 years ago during their freshman orientation in NYU, "You were talking about Ashton and his atrocious behavior."

Gianna folded her arms on top of her chest and scowled, "He's being an unreasonable ass, I can't believe him!"

She reclined on the bench and stretched her legs right in front of her, "He's an unreasonable ass because he's watching your back?" she asked with an inquisitive brow.

"I don't need him to watch my back!" Gianna exploded. She shot up from her seat and started pacing like a caged animal, "He's not my Dad, hell – he's not even my boyfriend! So I don't get why he kept on cock-blocking me!"

She fought the urge to roll her eyes, fully knowing that it would only lit up her friend's fuse further. "Does it qualify as _cock-blocking_ when you don't have one?" she tried to joke.

Gianna's head snapped towards her, her eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "I'm glad you find my _predicament_ funny, Sam, how very supportive of you."

 _Now you've done it._ She cleared her throat and sat straighter, "I feel you, Gi. You're right; Ashton's being a huge pain in the ass. You have all the right to... _date_ whoever you want, he doesn't get a say on that," she said to appease her.

Gianna's face visibly relaxed with her words. She walked back to the bench and sat down, "I don't understand why he acts the way he does. I get that he's just concerned, but sometimes, it feels wrong, you know?"

"Maybe he likes you as more than a friend?" she offered.

"I'm sure he does, he treats me like a sister."

"I hope not – that would be incest."

"Eeeeewwwww!" Gianna shrieked. "I don't like him that way - you're crazy!"

She shrugged her shoulders, "Don't knock it till you try it," she said. She then checked her watch and saw the time, "I don't want to bail on you, but I need to leave if I want to make on time - I'm meeting Steph at Bobst in 20, rain check on girl talk?" she asked as she stood up.

"Fine, I'll go check if Andy is free to hang," Gianna said with a dramatic sigh.

She plucked her coffee cup from the bench and spun on her heels, "Don't think about Ashton too much!" she called out.

"You bet your ass I won't, he already ruined my morning!"

"I hear ya, catch you later, babe!"

"Bye!"

* * *

oOO

* * *

Sam reached the library with 5 minutes to spare. She scanned the rows of tables and was not a bit surprised when she saw that Stephanie was already there. She adjusted the bag strapped on her shoulder and made her way towards her. "I'm 4 minutes early, you're just earlier," she said in lieu of a greeting. She pulled a chair across from her and plopped down, "I haven't seen you in a while, Econ still eating you alive?"

Stephanie took off her glasses to rub her eyes, "Wrong, it already gobbled me up and spit me whole. I don't even remember why I signed up for this, remind me again, please?"

She lifted her hand and flicked her pointer finger up, "Because you wanted to become a lawyer like your Grandfather," she paused to flick another one. "Two, because you wanted to make a difference by focusing on pro-bono work," she flipped one more finger. "And lastly, because you have a Texas-sized brain, remember how you used to bail us out every time we got into trouble?"

Two pink dots blossomed on Stephanie's cheeks, "You didn't have to remind me that," she threw her glasses on the table. "We did get into a lot of trouble back then, didn't we?"

She smiled wistfully, "With Carlie as our ring leader, we did."

"Have you talked to her lately?"

"We facetimed last week, why?"

Stephanie threw her a funny look, "Did she mention something _odd_ to you?"

She leaned forward and folded her arms on top of the table, "This is Carlie, all of her ideas are _odd,_ what did she tell you?" she asked, her curiosity now piqued.

Stephanie also leaned forward, "She mentioned something about the spell we did at The Hamptons after graduation, ring any bells?"

An inexplicable feeling settled inside her gut, making her skin crawl. " _Amas Veritas_ – the true love summoning spell, yes, I remember. What about it?"

"I really didn't get everything she said because I was on the subway, but from what I gather, she thinks she found him."

"S - she found him? How? Where? Is she sure?"

"Whoa there, calm down," Stephanie said. She shifted on her seat to lean closer, "She didn't really see him, per say, she just said that she... _felt_ his presence, if that makes senses at all."

" _Reveal your face and make your presence be known. For my heart will surely recognize you, even when my eyes are long drawn_ ," she found herself reciting the familiar words.

Stephanie's eyes widened like saucers, "You memorized that? Oh my gosh, now that you've said it, it makes sense! Oh my gosh!"

She felt her pulse rise, her heart pounding wildly inside her chest to the point that she can almost hear it. The spell cannot be real; she just saw it on the internet for goodness sake! There has to be a logical explanation for this, maybe Carlie is just being her old dramatic self.

"Samantha!"

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, "Y - yeah?"

"You checked out on me, are you alright?"

She met her best friend's gaze and nodded, "Yes, just thought about something, sorry."

Stephanie didn't seem to believe her, but she didn't push. She grabbed her glasses and slipped it back on, "I didn't mean to freak you out like that. I just wanted you to know in advance if Carlie dumps this stuff on you." She flipped her notebook open and pulled the textbook closer to her, "Ignore what I said about it making any sense, because it obviously doesn't," she added.

"Okay, thank's for giving me a heads up," she said with a small smile.

"Why don't we get started so we can drop by Joe's before we go home?"

"Yeah, we should do that. I've been craving for pizza since yesterday."

Stephanie smiled back, "White okay?"

Her mouth watered like a conditioned Pavlov dog, "And mozza sticks!"

* * *

oOO

* * *

The study session took longer than they expected. They were both famished and irritable when they finished their papers. So instead of dropping by to get the food themselves, they opted to order in. They were halfway towards the main street when Stephanie remembered a book that she was supposed to borrow. She volunteered to go back with her, but her best friend just rolled her eyes and told her that it wasn't necessary – hence, Sam's current predicament.

She fished her phone out of her back pocket to check if she had any messages, "God, Steph, how long does it take to get a stupid book?" she grumbled. She slipped her phone into her bag and zipped her jacket up to her neck. It was only October and yet the chill in the wind is already icy. It didn't help that she was only wearing a flimsy t-shirt under her hoodie and forgot her scarf at home. She folded her arms on top of her chest and fixed her gaze towards the direction she knew Steph would be coming from.

"Hey."

Her head snapped towards the voice and was instantly met with the familiar face of Ashton Reese Eldrich. She subconsciously took a step back, willing her heart rate to slow down, "H - hey."

Ashton didn't seem to realize that he startled her; he kept checking their surroundings, "Sam, right?"

A wave of annoyance washed ove her, making her pricklier than the usual. "Yes," she replied through gritted teeth.

Ashton met her gaze, "Great, do you know where Gianna is?" he asked. "I tried calling her because she didn't show up for practice, but I can't seem to reach her."

 _It's probably because she didn't want to talk to you._ She held her tongue and gave a different answer. "Last time I checked, she's with Andy. You can try her, maybe they're still together." She waited for a response or even a hint of recognition when she dropped Andy's name, but his face remained blank. She let out an exasperated sigh and hugged herself tighter to fend off the cold, "Andy's part of your group, she played _Thisbe_ in your Midsummer Night's Dream prod last fall," she deadpanned.

"Oh."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes, "I'm sure Gi is fine, she'll contact you once she's able – I'm sure of that."

Ashton ran his fingers through his already dishevelled hair, "You sure about that?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, I'm back."

 _Thank god!_ She turned around and saw Stephanie standing behind her, "Great, we can go now."

Stephanie fell into step with her, her eyes volleying between them, "You two done talking?"

"Yeah, he's just looking for Gianna – he's Ashton, Gi's friend."

"Oh okay," Steph said.

Ashton threw Stephanie a friendly smile before moving his gaze back to her, "Thanks for the help, Sam, I appreciate it."

She nodded, "No problem." She then looped her arm around Steph's, "See you around," she said before walking towards the other direction, not even giving Ashton a chance to respond.

"Were you really talking about Gianna?"

"Of course, what else are we supposed to talk about?"

"Hmmmnnnn..."

She threw her a side glance, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Did you have the chance to check that Ashton out?"

"Check him out?"

Stephanie suddenly stopped walking and turned to face her, her eyes wide with incredulity. "Are you shitting me, Sam? Didn't you get a good look at him? Didn't notice anything - anything at all?"

"Of course I did, he was standing right in front of me," she quipped. "Look, can you stop talking in riddles and just spit it out? I'm kinda dying of hunger here, the sooner you spill the beans, the faster we'll be able to eat – hit me."

"Samantha, he's practically the physical manifestation of the man you described 2 years ago!"

She felt the wind got knocked out of her lungs, her eyes wide in shock.

Stephanie grabbed her arm to keep her from stumbling, "Shit, are you okay?"

She turned her face towards the place she last saw Ashton, the eerie feeling she felt at the library back in full force. _No, it can't be him – that's not possible, the spell was a fluke, no._


	3. Chapter 2 - Ash

"Who's that pretty chic you're talking to?"

"Uh, what?" Ashton asked, still reeling from the conversation he just had.

Cliff, his best friend and guild mate threw him a funny look, "I was asking who you were talking to. Girl in blue hoodie, brunette, petite, nice ass -"

"Down boy!" he joked. He pocketed his phone and tucked his hands inside his jacket, "That's Sam, Gianna's friend."

"Hot damn," Cliff whistled. "How come I didn't know that Rosendall has friends that look like _that_?" he asked as they walked towards the parking lot.

"You find Sam hot?"

"Are you blind?" Cliff paused for effect as he unlocked his BMW. "Right, I almost forgot. You only have eyes for Rosendall, my bad."

He pulled the door open and threw his bag in the back seat, "I don't like Gianna like _that,_ we're just friends," he lied.

Cliff slammed the door shut and slipped the key in the ignition, "Yeah and I'm a virgin," he snorted. He revved the engine a few times before backing out of his parking spot, "I don't get you, dude. Either hit that ass or just walk away," he said.

He leaned back on the headrest, his hands curling into tight fists, "I told you, it's not like that between us, were just-"

"Bullshit," Cliff interjected. He hit on the breaks when they reached the stop light, "That chic has been stringing you a long for god knows how long and you know what's worse? You're letting her," he added pointedly.

Flashes of Gianna's face came into the forefront of his mind; her body writhing with his, her lips half-parted with moans of pleasure. He let out a shaky breath and willed his body to relax, "It's complicated – it's not that easy," he heard himself say.

"Fucking hell – you banged her, didn't you?"

His head snapped to the side and saw Cliff glaring at him, "Don't be stupid," he huffed.

Cliff's jaw twitched, "Don't insult my intelligence by lying to my face, Ashton; you know how much I hate fucking liars." He white-knuckled the steering wheel until and stepped on the gas, throwing them back to their seats, "I care for you, man; you're the brother I never had. But if you can't be honest with me, just tell me to fuck off and I'll back down."

Shame mixed with guilt bubbled in the pit of his stomach, making him feel ten times worse. He knew Cliff was only looking out for him; he sure as hell know his issue with liars, but he still kept at it. _What kind of a brother does that make me?_ He puffed out air and sat straighter, "You know I'm a douche canoe sometimes, sorry, man," he said with all the sincerity he could muster. "And yes, something happened between us."

Cliff's body visibly relaxed with his admission, "And that's the reason why you're nipping at her ankles like a sad-beaten up pup?"

"The fuck? I'm not!" he protested. He stuck his nose out, his brows furrowed with annoyance.

"You've been running around campus like you're on a damn pogo stick, bouncing from Bobst to Washington Square like you're in a scavenger hunt."

He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment at being caught. _So much for being incognito._ He cleared his throat and averted his gaze, "I needed to talk to her and clear the air out, we can't have her ditching rehearsals because of me."

"Riiiiiggghhhht," Cliff responded. He navigated his car into the basement parking of their condo and killed the engine, "Let's just get some beer and watch some football."

He let out relieved sigh as he popped the door open, "Sounds good to me."

* * *

oOo

* * *

Half a pack of beer and 3 slices of cold pizza left Ashton pleasantly buzzed and alone. Cliff has already passed out a few hours ago and was loudly snoring in his room. He propped his feet on top of the coffee table, his eyes glued to his phone. He rebooted the little sucker multiple times and yet it still remained silent. He took a long pull of his beer as he riffle through his call logs. He let his thumb hover over Gianna's name for a second, "Huh!" he huffed. He skipped her log and continued flicking until a new name appeared on his screen. He pulled his phone closer, his brows furrowed in confusion, "Who the hell is Sam?" he asked the empty room. He leaned back on the pillows and tried to rack his brain for an answer – and then it hit him, _Sam_ , Gianna's friend. Without thinking, he tapped on her name and shifted the phone to his ear. He waited for her to pick up, but was disappointed when the call ended with her recorded voice, telling him that she'll get back to him. He let his hand drop and rested his head back, "What the hell are you doing?" he asked himself. He stayed prostate for a few minutes before he decided to call it a night, he just planted his feet on the floor when his phone chirped. His hand shot up, his thumb already pressed on the home button to unlock it.

 _ **Sam: "Sorry didn't catch your call, who's this?"**_

He sat up, his eyes wide in surprise. He didn't expect a message after she sent his call to voicemail...but then now that she has, what was he supposed to say? Before his mind could come up with a decent response, he realized that his fingers already sent a reply.

 _ **Me: "Aren't little girls supposed to be in bed already? Why are you still up? – Ash"**_

He let out a long line of expletives, his eyes glued to the screen. He almost jumped out of his seat when his phone vibrated, followed by a beep.

 _ **Sam: "Ashton? Gianna's Ashton?"**_

"I wish," he grumbled.

 _ **Me: "Just Ash will do. You haven't answered my question yet, why are you still up?"**_

He stood up and made his way to his room. He shut the door behind him and climbed on top of the bed.

 _ **Sam: "Because I'm a normal college girl who has a life."**_

The corner of his lips quirked up with amusement, "Spit fire through and through," he mused. He pulled up the messaging app and was about to send a reply when another message popped up.

 _ **Sam: "Where did you get my number? Why are you texting me!?"**_

"Good question," he muttered. He leaned back on the headboard and started typing.

 _ **Me: "I think it might be Gianna, she borrowed my phone last week to call someone."**_

 _ **Me: "And to answer your other question, I don't know. I found your name registered in my contacts and before I realize it, I'm already dialling your number."**_

"There, honest to God truth," he said. He fluffed his pillow and slipped under the comforter, his phone levelled with his face. Though his mind was muddled with alcohol, he was fully aware of what he's doing. She is one of Gianna's closest friends and if he wanted to get through to her, he would need to at least befriend Sam. He knew that it was douche move on his part because Sam seemed to be an okay person. But then again, desperate time calls for desperate measures. He was jerked out of his stupor with a beep; he focused his attention back to the screen and found a reply.

 _ **Sam: "Oh okay. Well, in case you're still worried about Gi, she's still with Andy – they're having a sleep over."**_

He turned to his side and tried to talk himself out of what he's about to do, but his brain doesn't want to cooperate. The end _always_ justifies the mean, right? It's not like he's going to hurt her, he's just going to use-no! Ask her for _updates_ about Gianna's whereabouts so he could finally force her to talk about their situation. And he's just making friends with her, nothing's wrong with that, _right_? With his mind already made up, he swiped the screen and started typing the response that he knew would change things.

 _ **Me: "Thanks. Well I won't take much time from your "college life" I bid you goodnight."**_

 _ **Sam: "No prob, night."**_

 _ **Me: "I had a good time talking to you, Sam, we should do this next time**_ _ **"**_

Yes, he sent a fucking emoji. He knew Sam wouldn't reply to his last message so he locked his phone. He placed his phone on the side table and folded his arms behind his head, "And so it begins."


	4. Chapter 3 - Sam

Samantha threw her phone on top of her comforter, her brain still trying to absorb the fact that unknown number who tried to call her a few minutes was _Ashton Reese Eldrich_ ; the guy, Steph won't shut up about. She rolled out of bed and walked straight into her walk-in closet. She flicked the lights on and padded towards the large wooden shelve. She went down on her knees and popped the bottom out. She pulled the small memento box out and sat down. She took the top off and began riffling through letters and faded cards. She dug out her old journal and started flicking through its battered pages. When she reached the entry she was looking for, she scooted towards the wall to rest her back.

* * *

oOo

* * *

 _October 24_ _,_ _2003_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Stephanie, Carlie and I did it! Booyah!_

 _I still can't believe we did the Amas Veritas spell I found on the internet; it was so - I don't know, weird? I was thinking about backing out at the last minute, but then Carlie started giving me the third degree, so I had no choice but to follow through._

 _So for documentation's sake, I'll jot down the characteristics I wrote on the piece of paper I chucked at the ocean for future reference. You know, just in case I'd need it in the future._

 _\- He has to be at least a foot taller than me._

 _\- Gray eyes._

 _\- Nicely built (strong arms, big hands and oh, abs would be nice...hehehehe)_

 _\- Black haired or brunette - no ken-dolls for me._

 _\- Killer sense of humor._

 _\- Great conversationalist, I like a man with substance._

 _\- Stand-up guy._

 _\- Loves to read books and enjoys music._

 _\- Caring and compassionate._

 _\- He has to love what I love; even annoying friends._

 _\- A guy who would sweep me off my feet and give me my happily ever after._

 _It won't probably come true, but hey, nothing is impossible, right? I guess I'll just expect the worst and hope for the best, cheers! :)_

* * *

oOo

* * *

Sam snapped the journal shut and chucked it towards the other side of her closet. She shot up to her feet and made a bee to her room, climbed on the bed and fell on her back. "Steph is just messing with me, it can't be _him_. Yes, he looks eerily familiar with the guy I described year ago, but the similarity ends there - physical," she mumbled. She snatched a pillow and turned to her side, "And besides, Ashton is obviously hung-up on Gi," she added with a loud huff. She tugged the comforter up and slipped under it, "You're not going to text him again, Samantha - you're going to pretend tonight didn't happen," she psyched herself. She nuzzled her pillow and closed her eyes, "Ashton can't be that guy, he just can't," those were her last thoughts before she drifted off to dreamland.

* * *

oOo

* * *

 _ **The next day:**_

"Wake up, Samantha or you're going to be late!"

Sam opened her sleepy eyes and saw a bleary figure of Stephanie, hovering above her. "W - what time is it?"

Steph flung the comforters off and started tugging her up, "It's quarter past 8, you have _CogPsych_ in 30!"

Awareness surged through her, snapping her out of her sleep-induced haze, "Shit!" She stumbled out of bed and rushed towards the bathroom, "Thank you for waking me up!" she called out before slamming the door behind her. She peeled off her clothes and stepped into the shower, not bothering to adjust the temperature. Goosebumps crawled on her skin even before it made contact with the water, "I can't believe I overslept!" She grabbed the bottle of shampoo from the caddy and stepped under the spray, she gritted her teeth to muffle the curses that wanted to escape her lips when the frigid water hit her.

"Where have you been? I've been texting you all morning!" Gianna said as soon as she laid eyes on Sam.

"Good morning to you too." Sam dropped her bag to the floor and sat down, "I overslept and I haven't checked my phone yet," she grumbled.

Gianna shifted on her seat towards her, "You never oversleep, what where up to last night?"

 _Talking to - nope, last night didn't happen._ "Studying," she replied. She slipped her hand inside her pocket and pulled her phone out, "Why were you looking for me?" she asked just as she noticed her sms notifications. _5 messages - huh, that's new._ She tapped on the envelop icon and almost jumped out of her seat when she saw a familiar name pop out.

"Because Dr. Birkin will introduce her new UTA today!"

She clicked on the power button and stuffed her phone back into her pocket, pushing the unsettling thoughts at the dark recesses of her mind. She focused her full attention to her friend, "UTA?"

Gianna swiped her blonde fringes to the side, her eyes lit with excitement. "Yes! Have you forgotten? She announced it last week."

"Aha! I remember now!" She turned her gaze towards the front, "Where is this mysterious UTA?"

"Everyone seems to have a struggle waking up this morning, they're not here yet."

She made a show of wiping her forehead, "Thank god for small favors!"

Gianna giggled. "Ikr?"

She opened her mouth to ask about her night, but the door at the front opened.

"What the fuck?"

She followed Gianna's gaze and saw Ashton trailing behind Dr. Birkin. She felt her jaw drop, her eyes wide with the combination of disbelief and shock.

"I can't believe this!" Gianna grabbed her bag and took her phone out, "Is he stalking me or something?!" she seethed.

She opened her mouth to respond, but words evade her. She clamped her lips shut and swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. _This is crazy, what the hell is he doing here?_

Gianna started typing - no, jabbing at the screen, her face full of irritation. After she hit the send button, she slammed her phone to the table and folded her arms on top of her chest, her breaths coming into short spurts.

She moved her eyes back to the front just as she saw Ashton slipped his phone back into his back pocket, his eyes zeroing on them; well, Gianna that is. She bowed her head and sunk back into her chair, praying that he won't notice her.

"Eyes on me everyone," Dr. Birkin said, effectively silencing the incessant chatters. "As what I have told you last week, I'll bring a UTA to assist and observe this class. Most of you might already be familiar with him, but if for some reason you are not, I'd like to introduce to you, Mr. Ashton Eldrich."

"Hi," Ashton said with his trademark smile.

"Annoying," Gianna grumbled with a pout.

 _You have no idea._ She grabbed her pen and flipped her notebook open, "Y-yeah, he is."

Gianna scooted closer, her arm almost touching her side, "I didn't even know he's a UTA, why didn't he tell me that? A head's up would have been nice."

"Maybe he tried, did you answer his calls?"

"Good point."

"I didn't even know he's a Psych major."

"I didn't tell you?"

She lifted her gaze and braved another look at the front, making sure that her eyes are fixed on Dr. Birkin. "Nope."

Gianna relaxed back on her seat, "Well, now you know."

"Yeah."

* * *

oOo

* * *

The class went without a hitch and Sam was beyond relieved that it was over. When the bell rung, she bid Gianna a hasty goodbye and was already halfway towards the door. She didn't even bother to wait for a response and just ran out of the classroom like a bat out of hell. She retraced the steps back to the stairs, her hand already unlocking her phone. She was about to place a call to Steph to vent out, but a new message popped up, making her stop in her tracks.

 _ **Ashton: "You run quite fast."**_

"Really?!" she screeched. She stomped down the stairs, her face scrunched with annoyance. She walked towards the nearest bench, her fingers already flying through her keypad.

 _ **Me: "What's your deal Ashton? Why do you keep texting me? And why on earth are you in our CogPsych class?"**_

She placed her bag on her lap and fished out the granola bar she managed to swipe from Steph's hand before she rushed out of their apartment. She ripped the wrapper open with her teeth and took a large bite, her eyes never leaving the screen.

 _ **Ashton: "I just want to make friends, is that wrong? And to answer your question, I'm not going to be in your class for long. If you were paying attention awhile ago, you would have heard Birkin explain that I'm only stepping in as interim since Michael Fletcher is out sick."**_

A whoosh of relieved breath escaped her lips, "Thank god," she muttered. She took another bite of her breakfast, debating whether to send a response or just end the conversation without replying. She let her thumb hover on the keyboard, _should I or should I not?_ Before she could make up her mind, her phone vibrated again.

 _ **Ashton: "For someone petite, you sure could walk fast. I was trying to find you after the class, hoping we could stop and chat. But to my surprise, you were already gone even before I managed to put my stuff back into my bag."**_

 _ **Ashton: "Do you have superpowers that I'm not aware of? Can you teleport?**_

 _ **Ashton: "Or are you a ninja?"**_

She couldn't hold it in, she burst out laughing. She bit her bottom lip to stifle the giggles and started typing.

 _ **Me: "Do I look like an alien to you? And a ninja - WTF?!"**_

She put her phone down and finished the last bite of the granola bar. She threw the wrapper on the waste bin to her side and dusted off the crumbs on her lap. When her phone vibrated for the nth time, she picked it up with more enthusiasm.

 _ **Ashton: "You're too pretty to be an alien, so scratch that.**_ _ **About you being a ninja though...you do have the disappearing act to a tee, so I really can't say**_ _ **"**_

"Pretty?" she snorted.

 _ **Ashton: "So, are you ready to tell me that you're a ninja, Samantha?**_ _ **"**_

She reclined on the bench and made herself comfortable before replying.

 _ **Me: "Ha! I'm not going to justify that question with an answer. Don't you have classes to go to? Or perhaps a play to direct?"**_

She hit on the lock button with her lips curled into a smile. If she's going to be a little bit honest with herself, she would admit that she enjoys the easy banter she was having with Ashton. But then, that would also mean that she's starting to like him, which cannot be the case because she doesn't - that's impossible, right? Her phone vibrated, making her sigh for what felt like the nth time.

 _ **Ashton: "I do, I'm actually sitting at the back row right now and I'm bored. How about you? You in class too?"**_

"Ha!" she snorted. She clicked on the lock button without responding and pocketed her phone. She stood up and adjusted her hoodie, " _Killer sense of humor_ ," she thought. She bit her bottom lip hard and shook her head, "Snap out of it, Samantha!" She crossed her arms on top of her chest and started making her way towards her next class, deliberately ignoring her vibrating phone.


End file.
